I don't know if anyone else has the feeling I have as I age, of time speeding up and passing me by exponentially...it seems that one moment it is Monday and the next Friday evening.

I used to experience this phenomenon when I was working...but the heavy workloads associated with the project, limited timeframes, eyes always on the budget, constant reporting to an anxious Head Office management and Board, liaison and change management with other integrated departments, developing and delivering an online education platform to over five thousand staff of all levels of IT expertise, training local team Leaders, developing and managing the IT infrastructure at ninety six aged care facilities across two states and their local and regional teams meant I was really (really!) busy then.The two years this project took my Project Manager and myself to implement and deliver seemed to pass in a flash, but very understandably...it was an extraordinarily busy time in my life...however, now I do not work at all, am practically house bound and I would expect my days to drag by in leaden water filled waders...but no, zoomzoom and they are gone! Time is an interesting construct...

Ricotta, blueberry and banana pancakes for lunch today...a delicious, healthy low fat option...oh...apart from the butter and honey that is, but they were a mere garnish and don't really count I think...

I will need a couple of cards quite soon... for my brother-in-law, brother and a son...oh! and a good friend... Their birthdays all fall in the first couple of weeks of February. I searched through my two boxes of completed cards but had nothing really suitable for any of these recipients, despite my determination to reduce the stash relentlessly this year. Trouble is, I can usually think of something else I could make for each individual and so go ahead and make something new and leave the stash composting in the cupboard!​Today I got in and made one for my brother, who has been a carpenter and a builder all his life...his was easy and a bit of a change for him as I normally do something a bit fishy for his special day,. I used an older PTI stamp and die set called Handy Hardware, did a little stamping, die cutting and embossing and here is the rather simple card I made...

I don't normally like to use the word "Guy", but didn't have a brother stamp to hand...

You can see the lovely silver gleam from the embossing on the tools...the wood panels are elevated a tad on fun foam...the tools with 3M tape and the woodgrain paper under the card is the paper I used for the envie...

As a final finishing touch I added a few shortened head pins by dipping their heads into E6000 and laying them in a heap across each other...sequins for blokes!

I am quite pleased how this one turned out...simple is very ok as long as you pay attention to detail and I think the small pops of colour add to the overall effect...now I just have to think of one for my BIL...he is no-where near as easy to make a card for...